Seven years ago, free-spirited Hadley’s heart was shattered when her secret high school love, Ryder Blake, betrayed her with just a few short words. Now, in her twenties and committed to Braden, her boyfriend of two years, she is unknowingly still picking up the pieces, and beginning to realize her life is far from the one she always dreamed of having.

When sexy and all grown up Ryder walks back into her life, memories of their summer spent together causes her to want the old Hadley back. The Hadley that took risks and made her own rules, the Hadley that only Ryder Blake has ever dared to bring out.

Ryder has had his fair share of women since high school, but none have compared to the girl who stole his heart and disappeared with it. When his life starts to fall into place Hadley’s sudden reappearance and disgust towards him fuels his drive to win her back and never let her run again…even if she has a boyfriend, and even if he has to handcuff her to his bed.

She takes another shot of tequila but still answers. “I thought I did, but is love supposed to be this hard?” she asks before her attention is directed to the door where a few others have come in. She looks down at her phone and frowns. I want to reach over and kiss her sadness away.

“Well,” I start to tell her. “I’ve only ever been in love once so from my experience no… but it does make you vulnerable enough to have your heart ripped open.”

A snort escapes her. “I know how that feels, Ryder. You don’t have to tell me how that feels.”

My stomach twists in knots. I did everything but hurt her. Yes, we kept it a secret but I never did anything besides love her and make sure she knew that I did. Hadley was my world and when she left it felt like I was stranded in the middle of the ocean with no paddle in my one man boat.

“Well, you ripped mine out too,” I tell her before taking another shot. I know she is open, answering questions, but she can’t just put all the blame of what happened on me. I didn’t leave her without any idea of where I went. She left me and she left me broken. “But unlike you I haven’t been able to have a normal working relationship since.”

Her eyes lift to mine hurling daggers at me with each second that passes by. Throwing her hands up her voice gets loud enough to draw attention. “Normal? Is this normal to you? My “normal” relationship is hanging on by a thread right now. And you…” she points at me, “ever since you came back it’s like that thread is rapidly unraveling!”

I quickly jump out of my side of the booth and slide into her side. Her eyes grow wide and she cowers into the back of it. Every inch I move in she pushes away until her back hits the wall and her knee comes up to block me. That one sentence, that one beautiful sentence has given me what I didn’t even know I needed to hear.

Leaning in as close as I can get without tasting those beautiful lips of hers I whisper, “Maybe that should tell you something, Had. I make no apologies for unraveling you and now that I know I’m helping dwindle the flimsy string that is holding the joke you call a relationship together,” I breathe in closer. “I plan on watching it fall to the floor and then I’ll secure you with nice, strong rope. Tie us up so tight you can’t move…not that you would want to.”

Her body shakes but not from being scared. It’s quivering. I’m making her quiver and her labored breaths are causing a stir behind the zipper of my jeans. If she wasn’t taken I would claim her mouth once again.

She doesn’t say a word but just stares between my lips and my eyes, her tongue coming out to wet her mouth. She wants me to kiss her.

Fuck it.

I lean in, pushing her erected knee into her chest. Her breath hitches as I bring my hand up to her cheek, caressing it softly, her head falling hesitantly into my palm. Bringing my lips closer she rewets hers, and I take that as my cue to grab the other side of her face and pull her towards me. Our lips just millimeters from one another, our eyes locked on each other.

I pull on a tendril of hair. “I miss the red. It suited you.”

“Ryder,” she whispers, the alcohol from her breath intoxicating me.

“Hadley,” I breathe back into her.

Her eyes blink back a tear and it breaks my heart. “I loved you.”

Taking another move getting so close I can feel her lips graze mine as I say, “I loved you more.”

Meet the Author

Amy-Marie was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago and now resides in Virginia

Beach with her fantastically crazy husband and two kids.

As an avid reader, she never dreamed of writing her own novel until the characters

started haunting her at night and in the shower. Wanting to get it down on paper she set off on the journey that is more than she could have ever dreamed.

When not writing she can be found carting her kids around, breaking up their fights,

I haven’t read anything by Amy Marie before, but I certainly
will be reading more after this. The depth of emotion from the characters pulls
you into the story and leads you to page after page of goodness. Even though it’s part of a series, it can be
read alone with no problems.

Hadley is comfy with her boyfriend and her life as it is.
Then Ryder shows up and begins taking out to have fun, showing her the girl she
used to be. There is a huge twist that you will have to read to find out about.
I loved it.

The writing is wonderful. I like the laid back feel of the
characters and then the tension that you can almost feel. Great job Amy.